The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this will be my first review in months, and I’m glad that it’s this book, because it’s one of the better books I’ve read recently.

In brief, this book tells the story about Nora, who one days finds one of her best friend, Chris, dead, and her other best friend, Adriane, who is also Chris’ girlfriend, catatonic. Her own boyfriend, Max, is missing, and is a suspect for the murder of Chris. Nora has to track Max down and find out what happened that night, and who really killed Chris.

The story is more complicated than that, however, as Nora, Chris, and Max were all working with a professor to decipher a 400-year-old book, and apparently there were some secrets in that book that some secret society would do anything to possess.

This book was categorized under the Young Adult genre, but I felt that it is a lot more sophisticated than most YA novels. There’s a lot more depth to the novel and the characters too, and I found myself really liking and sympathizing with most of them. The plot was really interesting, though a little bit slow at times.

There were some parts that were kind of unrealistic, like the fact that they were on a wanted list, but yet no one recognized them and turned them in even though they were moving about in public so much, and the fact that two different secret societies were looking for them, yet they always could go back to the same hotel and relax without worrying about anyone finding them.

The story did explain that the secret society wanted Nora and her friends to move about freely and “solve the puzzles” for them, so if we suspend our belief a little further, this explanations kind of works. It didn’t bother me too much though, and I still enjoyed the rest of the story. It was a great read, overall!

I haven't been blogging consistently for the last three years. I haven't blogged at all for the last year. I miss blogging, but I feel like I'd lost my voice somehow. Moving to a new place, meeting new people, learning a new way of living... I feel like I had left my old self back in Malaysia and have been spending the last couple of years learning who my new self is.

I'm still learning, but I'm finding more of myself every day, and I'm trying to embrace the changes and allow myself to continue growing. I feel like I'm back for good this time, I love blogging and I've missed writing my thoughts about the books I read.

It's kinda ironic because I've been reading more than ever. I read 114 books in 2011, and I'm at 167 books already this year and there's more than two months left in 2012!

Maybe I'm reading more because I don't take the time to think and digest the books, I just devour them one after another. It's Calgary's fault for having such an amazing public library! There's just so many books, I have too many choices and I can't stop reading!

It's kinda taking a toll on the housework too... but who cares? ;-)

I do plan to slow down on my reading though, savor the books more, and write what I think and feel about them. Sometimes I actually forget that I've read a book, the way that I've been going through them. If it wasn't for goodreads.com and listing the books I've read there, I might've read some books twice without even realizing it!

It still doesn't beat writing my thoughts about the books here though. I may list the books I've read there, but I don't remember how I felt about them or if I even liked the book. I rate them, but ratings aren't the most accurate way to remember a book.

So you see, I haven't got a choice. I have to blog again! =)

It's good to be back!